October 2025

This month, we cover a lot of the practical pieces of 2026 summer camping — contracts, reports, registration forms, camp pricing — these things are important and help us welcome kids long before they set foot at a Young Life camp. Even now, you are laying a foundation that creates space for kids to step away from everyday life, hear the gospel in a beautiful place, and wrestle with what it means for them. The details you handle behind the scenes make that possible, and help clear the way for kids to encounter Jesus. 

So, let’s go! Here’s what you need to know about camp this month …  

Camp Spots Are Here!

Your summer 2026 Young Life camp reservations are here! See where your area is going to camp by looking in the trips and events section on the YL Connect home page on your desktop. Here's a quick video that shows you how.   

Using YL Connect Mobile? You can view your camp spots under the green Camp Trips and Events section.

Want to see who else is on your camp week? On your camp trip in YL Connect (on your desktop), use the drop-down in the top right to select “Camp Trips by Week.” This report shows who’s on your week, and this will also be the place where you will see who wants to add or drop spots and who you might want to share transportation with.  Here’s how to find that report.

Confirm your spots! Send back your contract. 

On Thursday, October 16, your area’s camping responsible party received an email from DocuSign with your Initial Reservation (IR) camp contract. This contract includes your reserved spots for kids and leaders, trip dates, camp fee, and the camp’s contact information. 

Please complete the yellow fields in the contract and click “Submit” by midnight MST on Thursday, October 30.  

At this stage there is no financial obligation, so unless you see a major issue, we strongly encourage you to sign and return your contract right away. If you do nothing, you could lose your camp spots. 

For more information about camp contracts and fees, refer to the Camp Fees, Contracts, and Accountability page on Staff Resources.  

YoungLives Childcare Contracts 

This summer, YoungLives childcare contracts are getting simpler! Areas will no longer have to manage a separate childcare contract. Instead, childcare trips will now be coordinated at the divisional level. If your area wants to send childcare workers, or take a childcare-only trip, just reach out to your divisional YoungLives office. 

Build an Itinerary 

Now that you know where and when your camp trip is, you will want to make a travel plan. Will you take vans, a bus, or fly? Will you add any additional activities (like visiting an amusement park or white-water rafting) before or after camp? What time will you depart for camp (and from where) and when will you return? Establishing these details will help you book transportation, set a camp price, and should be added to your online camp registration page. This information will also help you set up your health and consent form when the new form is released (early 2026).  

Set a Camper Price 

Young Life has a set camp fee, but you will need to determine your area’s camper cost to include your transportation, additional activities, and other trip-related costs. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to use the camp trip price calculator in YL Connect.  

TIP: As you consider the cost of camp, now is a great time to make a yearlong plan for campership funding. The Global Field Development team shares some key strategies your area might want to try this year. 

Publish Your Online Camp Registration Page 

Just like in previous years, Camping Services has created a 2026 summer online camp registration page for your camp trip in YL Connect for you. Don't create your own but instead edit and publish that prebuilt page. Here’s how.   

Want additional guidance as you prep for summer 2026? Use the Connections Team’s free concierge service, and they will edit and publish your camp registration page for you! The estimated turnaround time is about five to six business days. 

Updates to U.S. Health and Consent Forms

We’re making updates to Young Life’s U.S. Health and Consent forms. Beginning in early 2026, the 6007 and 1717 forms will be combined into one form in YL Connect. This single, year-round form will replace separate summer and school-season versions, making it easier to access and complete. 

The online 6007 Health and Consent form has not been released yet. Please discard any previous versions of the 6007 Health and Consent form — camps will not accept past versions! 

One new feature in the online health form will be the ability to designate “additional activities” that your group will participate in before or after your nationally managed summer camp trip. By designating these additional activities, the system will include them in the Health and Consent form, and parents/guardians/participants will only have to sign one consent form for both camp and additional activities. More info to come once the new health form has been released.

As you think about Health and Consent forms for upcoming school-season trips:   

Stay tuned to Day Zero and the Health, Consent, and Release Form page on Staff Resources for the latest updates.  

Camp Promo Videos   

YLTV makes it easy to find camp promo videos right from your phone — perfect for showing at club or Campaigners! Download the YLTV app here or check out the YLTV YouTube channel. 

Work Crew and Summer Staff Recommendations and Applications Are Live 

For high school and college-aged students who would like to serve next summer, the Summer 2026 Work Crew and Summer Staff applications and recommendations are now open! 

The links below include information about the application and recommendation process for summer 2026, as well as how to view self and staff evaluations from summer 2025. 

Thanks for reading and thanks for all you’re doing now to help prepare a space for kids to hear the gospel at camp in 2026! 

View previous issues and all our camping resources on Staff Resources.      

FYI – This newsletter is sent to all current U.S. Field staff, camp managers, and camping admin managers. Do you know of a volunteer who would like to be added to this communication? Just have them sign up, and we’ll be sure include them.